A page torn from the manuscript of Franz Kafka’s “The Castle” has been revealed for the first time. What is written on that missing page? Who tore it out? Why would anyone want to keep it hidden?
Book Review: “Come With Me to the Ritz” by Vasile Dubb
A collection of anecdotal short stories that contain an intellectual playfulness that keeps readers engaged.
The Search for a Jewish Book That Was Ordered to Be Destroyed 470 Years Ago
This incredible story begins with a quarrel among printers in 16th century Venice, which soon escalated to the point of burning Hebrew books on the orders of the Inquisition. The story continues with a globe-spanning search for a particular book saved from that fire. How does it end? With a twist of course…
The Hope or the Glory? Herman Wouk Writes About the State of Israel
The award-winning Jewish-American author lived a secular life in his early years and claimed that one of the greatest influences on his life and work was the US Navy. What made him spend years writing a pair of thick novels telling the story of people whose culture was far removed from the one he grew up on, and for whom he had quite a bit of criticism to offer?
I, Woman: Janet Asimov Tells Her Story
Both were writers, both were doctors – she in psychiatry, he in chemistry. But does the name Janet Opal ring a bell if it isn’t attached to the famous surname she received from her husband? Janet Opal Asimov was her husband Isaac’s right hand throughout their years of marriage. She shared credit with him for quite a few books, short stories, and essays she wrote, and edited many of his writings. But even though her work was often overshadowed, she was a fascinating woman who deserves to be remembered in her own right.
The Woman Who Taught England Chemistry
Back in the 19th century, it wasn’t considered appropriate to teach women chemistry. Jane Marcet thought it might be worthwhile anyway, so she wrote a chemistry book for women that became the one of the world’s most popular textbooks for half a century.
From Fantasy to Reality: The Forbidden Love of Edith and J.R.R. Tolkien
“For she was (and knew she was) my Lúthien.” This was how Tolkien explained the unorthodox choice of words which he placed on the tombstone of the woman he loved. What was the connection between Lúthien – the mythological image of female perfection which Tolkien himself created – and his wife Edith? And what caused their three-year separation, which almost ended in her marrying someone else?
Even Borscht Tastes Like Home
New on the shelf: When we leave home, even when we make that decision willingly and voluntarily, there is still a connection to the place we left behind. And there’s nothing like food to reawaken those memories and that unique sense of longing.
“You can recover from this”: When Past Captives Told Their Stories
When they finally returned home, the Israeli POWs of the War of Attrition decided to do something unusual for their time – they shared their experiences. The decision to put things down in writing did not dull the pain, but it did allow them to connect to their own inner strength, to a sense of enduring hope and to the shared experience in captivity that helped them survive. For their relatives, it offered a glimpse of what could rarely be discussed face to face
The Search for Meaning Continues: When Viktor Frankl Returns to the Bestseller Lists
In late-1945, Viktor Frankl faced the broken shell that remained of his life: Though he had survived the Nazi concentration camps, he had lost the love of his life, the baby she carried in her womb, his professional status, and the manuscript of his book. He needed to start over. But was that even possible? His answer was an unequivocal – yes
